1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an endgate and, in particular, to an endgate for use in securing a load in position on the floor of a vehicle such as a trailer or of another cargo carrying unit such as a container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often necessary to secure a load in position on the floor of a vehicle such as a trailer or a container. Typically this securing is done with a device called an endgate. The endgate is secured to a portion of the vehicle, such as the vehicle floor or side walls, in a position to block movement of the load along the floor of the vehicle.
Often, an endgate is simply stick built on the spot from wood such as 2xc3x976 planks and nailed to the wooden floor of the trailer. This construction operation takes time and produces a device which is not readily reusable. Various types of endgates have been invented to address this problem, but none has met with industry acceptance.
The present invention is a preassembled endgate for blocking movement of a load along the floor of a vehicle. The endgate comprises a floor panel adapted to extend along the vehicle floor, and a load panel engageable with the load. The endgate also comprises a first hinge connected between the load panel and the floor panel to enable the load panel to pivot relative to the floor panel between (a) a stored condition in a side by side relationship with the floor panel and (b) a blocking condition extending upward from and transverse to the floor panel. The endgate also comprises a brace panel extending between and transverse to the load panel and to the floor panel to maintain the load panel in the blocking condition relative to the floor panel.
The present invention is also a method of erecting a preassembled endgate to block movement of a load along the floor of a vehicle. The method comprises the steps of:
providing a preassembled endgate including a floor panel, a load panel, and a brace in a stored condition in which the load panel and the floor panel and the brace panel are interconnected by hinges and are disposed in a side by side relationship with each other;
placing the preassembled endgate in the vehicle with the end gate in the stored condition;
moving the load panel relative to the floor panel to a blocking position extending transverse to the floor panel; and
moving the brace to a bracing position extending transverse to the load panel and the floor panel;
the step of moving the load panel relative to the floor panel including pivoting the load panel relative to the floor panel about a hinge that interconnects the load panel and the floor panel;
the step of moving the brace panel to a bracing position including pivoting the brace panel relative to one of the load and floor panels about a hinge that interconnects the brace and the one of the load and floor panels.